Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-07
PLYMOUTH In MOURNING.
BEECHER, THE GREAT PASTOR, LIES
WAITING THE LAST SUMMONS.
His Career Suddenly Brought to Its
End by an Attack of the
Fatal Paralysis.

How the News Is Received at Home
and Abroad.
CHICAGO, March Is a. MP to this
hour no report has been received from Me
Beecher. Dr. Hammond said: ''Mr Beecher
viii never be conscious again. There is abso-
lutely no hope He may die in two hours
and he may last couple of days longer, but
death is certain. The paralysis Of the entire
left side Is now complete Nothing rouses
him. He lies in a state of coma, but suffers
no pain-at least is conscious of none. The
patient is now merely breathing machine.
Practically he is dead man"
BROOKLYN, y. V, March 7-All day
Saturday Rev Henry Ward Bseeher
was lying i'll a comatoSe state at
his home in this city, the result of al apo
plectic fit which attacked him early Friday
morning last. The family has been very
reticent regarding the cause of Mr.. Beecher's
Illness, and 1t was not generally known un-
~ Ad'uA &ut- DCC1hCl
was in critical condition and his death ex-
pected before the morning. Drs. Hammond
and Sear,e were In attendance and both re-
garded Mr.. Beecher's condition as critical
They were of the opinion that Sunday
day morn ing would decide whether the Ply
mouth pastor should die or become physical
wreck. Col. Beecher said that while he
thought there would be no change in few
hours at least, the family had been warned
by the physicians to preplre for the worst
The fanlily's account of Mr. Beechar'S at
tack as given out Saturday is as follows:
Between 2 AMI o'clock .on Friday morning
be awoke his wife and complained of feeling
Ill. She arose to get him drink of some
thing, but before she could do so he com
menced vomiting. She thought nothing of
the attack, supposing that he had eaten
something which had disagreed with him, OF
that he was suffering from biliousness. The
The fit Of "omiting lasted some time, and
when it had passed Mr.. Beecher laid back on
his pillow quite exhausted. In short time
he fell asleep AM Mrs Beecher concluded
that be would be better in few hours.
When he did not come down to breakfast his
wife became alarmed, and calling Col
Beecher and her daughter-in-law they went
TO Mr.. Beecher's room They found him
lying awake in bed, very pale but unable to
utter word. He made an effort to rise, but
fell back again powerless. To anxious ques-
tons from his wife and son as to how he felt
lie could make but few inarticnlate sounds,
and the now thoroughly frightened family
sent IN haste Ger medical aid
On Thur sday Mr.. Beeeher ate few clans
for supper, anil after some literary work
retired some what before his usual hour When
re awoke his wife with complaint of a
severe pain in his head Mrs. Beecher was
surprised. Headache for the reverend gem
tlenan WAS an anomaly, as he had never be-
fore been known to have ono. Mrs Beecher
bathed his head and did everything else she
could for him, but 50 little did she think that
his Illness was anything but slight that
doctor was not sent for until afternoon
Mr. Beecher's family physician, Dr.. "
S Searle, arrived in short time ani made
TASTY examination. He said that Mr.
B-echer was quite i'll, but did not think there
was any immediate danger. He prescribed
some remedies, and during the day noted
every change in the patients condition Sat
urday morning Mr.. Beecher appeared to be
worse, and it was decided TO call DIR. ". A
Hammond, of New York, for consultation
with DR. Searle. The immediate relatives of
BIZ. Beecher We're ,elegraphed for, including
his son. who is in the west, another son, who
Is in San Francisco, and Mrs. Scofield, his
daughter Col Beecher also sent telegram.
to bis son at Yale college
Before noon Mr.. Beecher lauSed into IN
consciousness, and was in that condition
when DR. Hammond entered the house DR..
Hammond said that Mr. Beccher was in
critical condition, yet as he was a str mg
man he might rally. He gave the family all
the hope he could, and 1t WAS after o'cl ock
when he went away
During the examination made by Drs.
Hamilton and Searle it was found that the
paralysis had extended down the left side TO
the limb, though the arm was more affected
than any other part. This member had be-
cure useless. The symptoms of apoplexy had
increased, and both doctors agreed that there
were nine chances to one against the Piv-
mouth pastors recovering from the effect
Of the double stroke that had visited him
By 5 O'Clock Saturday night. the news hav-
ing got abroad, the street in front of Mr.
Beecher's residence was blocked with men,
women and cbllren eager TO read the bGlie-
tins which were placed on the door at short
he, of
There was no material change during the
night except that the watchers thought Mr.
Beecher's mind got slig htlv clearer.
v ben Or. Searle paid his first visit Friday
morning he found the sick man in a sort of
stupOr, easily aroused him and said TO him
You have slept SO long, Dir. Beecher, that
your family have been somewhat worried on
your account
Yes, replied No Beecher, ave been
draining dreamed that had been made
a duke, and that Mrs Beecher had been
made duchess. ] also dreamed that we hal
come into possession OF certain amount o!
property, and we were trying TO figure Out
an income The income was invested in
British colisols. You know, DOCTOR" con.
tinued Mr.. Beacher, with a slight smile
that arithmetic has always been sourct
of great trouble to me"
The idea that he would die at his WORK
always seemed strong in Mr.. Beecher, and
also pleasant for him to contemplate He
prided himself on his excellent health. 50
have an old engine of q heart here" he saio
recently to friend, placing his hand on his
breast, that drives the blood through
every corner Of my body with a force thai
brooks no opposition, and | pity anything
that gets into my stomach. think | could
digest a brickbat 1t seems to me l never
knew what an attack Of dyspepsia or indi
gestiun meant" His only physical bant
Ssemsd to be hay fever. This his been his
thorn in the flesh for years. and drove hin
away 10 the mountains as regularly as the
| summer came
| AT o'clock Sunday morning there seemel
| to be a change for the worse and all the fam
| lily were summoned. Breathing alnos
| ceased and dissolution seemed near. The pa
tent was wholly unconscious, but half a.
hour later a rally took place. At 10 o'clocl
| another alarming ralapse orcI1rred Mai